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Dear Friends,
I have sad news to break.
During millennium of Mughal and British rule, large parcels of lands for Qabarstan, graveyards, and cremation grounds were provided, outside boundaries of towns. People did not want to live near those areas fearing dead souls surrounded those areas. However, in recent times, pressure on lands has increased and people don't mind living around those areas. Multi rise towers have come up. In Dahod, a Gujarat Waqf Board registered parcel is holding Id-gah and a Muslim cemetery. Some land mafia types have gotten hold of cheap land around this parcel. However, it has is no direct link to Dahod town and has not much value to the land without a direct road. So, they were eying demolition of above graveyard for a long time. During then CM Modi's Gujarat rule, Dahod Municipality had attempted demolition of the graveyard, and had demolished several graves. However, Dahod Qabarstan committee got stay order from Gujarat high court.
Sectarian Hindus rule Gujarat and Dahod. They tell Muslims, "What is the value of dead people when we need progress, the Vikas". However, the same people avoid everywhere big and small temples, Hindu Samadhi, or anything related to Hindu religion, finding a roundabout route saving those places.
For achieving the goal, the land Mafias purchased the police administration. Some existing officials were transferred and new officers were posted. They selected Sunday morning (Sept 6, 2015) when courts were closed and stay order could not be brought. Without giving any notice to Qabarstan Management, they pulled in several demolition equipment, and a large police force. They started demolishing Qabarstan compound wall that was constructed for preventing encroachments by animal grazers. Construction workers paved metal over Qabarstan graves and made road over it. It should be noted that many Sunni Muslims keep graves unmarked. They do not install tombstones lest it becomes an idol worshipping type place. They believe worshipping any article, except invisible God, is a big sin. Many Muslims are too poor paying for tombstones and a brick-mortar grave. Therefore, Muslim Qabarstan may look like an open ground.
Since the action was preplanned, Police had their plain cloth policemen and local Adivasi at hand. When demolition of compound wall and paving road was complete, and no trouble occurred despite of large crowd, those police agents started pelting stones on a police van; naturally, naïve young boys joined them as a kneejerk reaction without thinking this was a police trap. Police started lathi charge, curfew and 144 was imposed. Crowd started running creating a stampede. Many Muslims had come in vehicles to see the demolition and be witness. Their vehicles were towed away.
The action was a playbook case. The issue of demolition of wall and paving of road was a civil issue between administration and Qabarstan management. By creating riot, it has now become criminal issue with Muslim leaders and police. Now leaders under arrest, admiration will continue roadwork. For coming decades, Muslims will look at their graveyard and remember the atrocities of government committed on entire section of a community, for making few landowners super rich.
All over Gujarat, democracy minded people submitted petitions to authorities and promised a statewide agitation if those corrupt police is not brought to books. Gujarat high court has summoned those involved police offices for contempt of court for disobeying its stay order. I believe no action will be implemented against them under rule of current Gujarat Government.
Our Roshan Safar Waqf President Mr. Aizaz Kahn was talking to a reporter when a policeman hit him on right eye with a baton. Mr. Aizaz Kahn was arrested and taken to police station. Since it was Sunday, no bail was possible; he had to pass night in police custody. It is a shame, because Mr. Aizaz Khan was always helpful to police and municipality administration whenever help was need. He has received several certificates from Mamlatdar and other officials. Recently he helped officials establishing Atal Bihar library and passport camp.
Gujarat administration is in grip of anti-Muslim elements. I believe secular minded and tolerant people must come into action, otherwise all Mahatma Gandhiji's work and hard-earned democracy will see doom. If about 14% of Indian population is kept suppressed and backward, India's growth will remain stunted.
Please view pictures of the incident. Please click the link and view all pictures.
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